Notes From the Director Autumn 2018

“They went to sea in a Sieve, they did, In a Sieve they went to sea: In spite of all their friends could say, On a winter’s morn, on a stormy day, In a Sieve they went to sea! And when the Sieve turned round and round, And every one cried, “You’ll all be drowned!” They called aloud, “Our Sieve ain’t big, But we don’t care a button! we don’t care a fig! In a Sieve we’ll go to sea!” Far and few, far and few, Are the lands where the Jumblies live; their heads are green, and their hands are blue, And they went to sea in a Sieve.”

The Jumblies, is the work of British poet and painter Edward Lear. Known for his absurd wit and irreverent view of the world, Lear was born on May 12, 1812 and began his career as an artist at age 15.
With tongue firmly planted in cheek, I confess that the staff, governing board, and I feel at times like we are going to sea in a sieve. Sometimes the work we undertake can seem daunting. Nonetheless, like the cheery adventures in Lear’s poem we are laser focused with grit-like determination to reach our goal to development a cultural institution that Bedford can be proud of.
And what happens, say you, to Lear’s seafaring band. Well, “… in twenty years they all came back, In twenty years or more, And every one said, “How tall they’ve grown! For they’ve been to the Lakes, and the Torrible Zone, And the hills of the Chankly Bore”; And they drank their health, and gave them a feast Of dumplings made of beautiful yeast; And every one said, “If we only live, We too will go to sea in a Sieve, — To the hills of the Chankly Bore!” Far and few, far and few, Are the lands where the Jumblies live; Their heads are green, and their hands are blue, And they went to sea in a Sieve.”
Like the friends left behind, have no regrets. The time is now. Join us on our quest. We are building relationships and a great community space within our historic downtown corridor and having the time of our lives doing it. Our sieve ain’t big, but it has room for you too. Get involved, contribute, become a member, volunteer your time, join the

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About The Bedford Historical Society

The Bedford Historical Society was founded in 1955 to collect, preserve and interpret the history of Bedford, Bedford Township and portions of the Western Reserve.

It is a member of the American Association of Museums, The Ohio Association of Historical Societies and Museums, The Ohio Historical Society, The National Trust and the Northeast Ohio Inter-Museum Council.

The holdings of the Bedford Historical Society are listed with the Library of Congress in Washington DC. Archival information is available to researchers locally, nationally and internationally.